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Friday, March 14, 2014

Korean Kimchi 韩国辛奇泡菜

The other day, I saw my friend Bakeling made Korean Kimchi, sound easy to make. Since last two days napa cabbage was on sales, i quickly bought one and try this out.

She used chili paste instead the usual way of using chili flakes. She even use local chili paste only. According to her the taste was good. Anyway, I use the Korean chili paste (Gochujang) . And this Korean chili paste has flavoured, so i added less fish sauce.﻿

She also omitted the usual way of adding Cincalok (fermented small shrimps), and I find the Kimchi still taste good and the taste is quite close if compare to store bought Korean kimchi.

I noticed that the kimchi only took 1/2day to fermented, anyway I still kept in room temperature for 1 day then only refrigerated.

I also recorded and weighted all ingredients used, so I can control the consistency of my Kimchi if I going to make again in the future and for your better reference.

Updated on 8th June 2016- I have simplified this recipe, please check revised recipe as per below.

Korean
Kimchi 韩国辛奇泡菜

1 medium
napa cabbage (~780g)

40g coarse
salt (5% over total cabbage weight)

50g radish,
shredded

20g carrot,
shredded

20g Chives,
cut into 2” length

1 spring
onion, cut into 2” length

A)

50g apple,
cubed

65g pear,
cubed

50g yellow
onion, cubed

15g garlic, chopped

15g ginger,chopped

1/4tsp salt

B)

60g Korean
chili paste (Gochujang)

60g water

1/2tbsp
sugar

10g
glutinous rice flour

10ml fish
sauce

Method

Remove the core from the cabbage and cut it into 1" pieces.
In a very large bowl, add the cabbages and toss with the salt. Place a
clean plate and heavy object on top.

Put in room temperature for 1 and ½ hour, remove and
squeeze the excess water from the cabbage making it crunchier.

At the same time, prepare shredded radish and carrot. Add
a pinch of salt, and rest for 30mins, remove and squeeze the excess water.

Cut the chives and spring onion into 2” length, keep
aside.

Put all ingredients (A) in a blender and process until
fine paste, set aside.

In a saucepan, put all ingredients (B) and stir well. Cook
over low heat and stirring all the time till become a paste.

In a large mixing bowl, add cabbage, all other ingredients
and fish sauce, mix well. Taste it and add more fish sauce or chili sauce
as desired.

Place the kimchi in a clean glass jar, let it sit at room
temperature for 1day for fermentation (when weather is hot). You can now
start to enjoy or refrigerate for later use.

2. Do not
fully fill Kimchi into the jar, leave some gap, as in the fermentation process,
it will create air bubbles and push the Kimchi to the top. Try to push back
Kimchi to mix with water as to prevent it contaminated.

3. If
possible, at the last stage of cleaning cabbage, use cooked water instead, to
prevent Kimchi from contaminated.

2. Do not
fully fill Kimchi into the jar, leave some gap, as in the fermentation process,
it will create air bubbles and push the Kimchi to the top. Try to push back
Kimchi to mix with water as to prevent it contaminated.

3. If
possible, at the last stage of cleaning cabbage, use cooked water instead, to
prevent Kimchi from contaminated.

Usually I get my brother to make the kimchi for me. The way he make it is that he never cut the cabbage, he told me this is the traditional Korean way. Cutting it smaller seems easier to store it away.

I love kimchi but have never tried making it. We were thought how to make it during our visit to a kimchi factory in korea though. They probably showed us a very basic one, yours look good and must be very nice with the addition of some fruits. Drool!

I borrowed one Korean cookbook at the library , hopefully , I can make another Korean dish besides japchae :D One of these days , I'm gonna try make kimchi as well . Your homemade version looks wonderful ! I love the step by step tutorial . Btw , why you don't have a Pinterest account ?